Stock Market & Financial Investment News

Google to decouple Google+ from YouTube, other servicesGoogle will begin decoupling Google+ from other services such as YouTube within the coming months after previously requiring users to log in through the social network. "While we got certain things right, we made a few choices that, in hindsight, we’ve needed to rethink," said Bradley Horowitz, Google VP of streams, photos, and sharing. Reference Link

ADT rises after Citi downplays 'smart home' concernsShares of ADT (ADT) are heading higher in afternoon trading following an upgrade from Citi, within which the research firm said traditional home security firms have plenty of traction as self-installed, self-monitored security solutions from the likes of Apple (AAPL) and Google's (GOOG) Nest are slow to be adopted by homeowners. WHAT'S NEW: Citi's Jason Bazinet issued a research note on the home security sector, upgrading ADT to Buy from Neutral while slightly lowering his price target to $39 from $40. Bazinet notes that the sector is expanding into "smart home" technology powered by companies like Apple and Google's Nest. Despite this, the analyst contends that consumer data shows continued preference for the traditional approach in the form of professionally installed and professionally monitored services from ADT, Monitronics, Vivint, AT&T (T) and Comcast (CMCSA, CMCSK). WHAT'S NOTABLE: Though tech firms and venture capitalists seem drawn towards the concept of self-installed, self-monitored "smart homes," consumers appear to be sticking with the professionals, says Citi. Security systems using Apple HomeKit and Google's Nest products are seeing "limited" adoption, and firms like ADT -- equipped with call centers and installation specialists -- appear ready to "hold their own," with recent weakness in ADT shares called an "opportunity" by Bazinet. The analyst conceded that professional security providers will see their market share drop to 15% from a current 20%, but Bazinet set a 2035 date for that shift, leaving plenty of near-term opportunity for traditional players. PRICE ACTION: After a 25% drop since mid-April, shares of ADT are up about 1.4% to trade near $32 this afternoon.

Google AdSense publishers to obtain EU end users' consent before accessing dataGoogle has announced a change to its user consent policy which will affect website publishers using Google AdSense. Under the new policy, publishers will have to obtain EU end users’ consent before storing or accessing their data, Google says in a blog post. Jason Woloz, Security & Privacy Program Manager, Display and Video Ads, comments, "European Union data protection authorities requested some changes to current practices for obtaining end user consents. It has always been Google’s policy to comply with privacy laws, so we’ve agreed to make certain changes affecting our own products and partners using Google products. If your websites are getting visitors from any of the countries in the European Union, you must comply with the EU user consent policy. We recommend you start working on a policy-compliant user consent mechanism today." Reference Link

YouTube updates app, to offer VR, Engadget saysGoogle's YouTube has updated its mobile app, adding Home, Subscriptions, and Account tabs, Engadget reports. Users can watch full-screen vertical videos with just a single tap for the first time. In addition, the redesigned app comes with a set of video creation tools, including the option to trim footage, tint the image with filters, add music, and upload creations within the app. In addition, YouTube said that virtual reality will come to the streaming service with 360-degree video, the report says. Reference Link

Wal-Mart's Apple Pay competitor launching soon, Bloomberg saysCurrentC, the mobile payment application funded by Wal-Mart (WMT), Target (TGT), Best Buy (BBY) and others, will see an early trial run next month, Bloomberg reported earlier, citing three people familiar with the situation. A spokesperson for Lowe's (LOW) said the consortium behind the app expects an official launch in Q3, and Bloomberg noted that CurrentC will compete with more "established" offerings such as Apple's (AAPL) Apple Pay and Google's (GOOG) Android Pay. Reference Link

Earnings Watch: Visa reports after 'top pick' mention by BernsteinVisa (V) is expected to report third quarter results after the close on July 23, with a conference call scheduled for 5:00 pm ET. Visa is a global payments technology company. EXPECTATIONS: Analysts are looking for earnings per share of 59c on revenue of $3.36B. EPS consensus ranges 54c-65c on a revenue range of $3.32B-$3.41B, according to First Call. LAST QUARTER: On April 30, Visa reported second quarter EPS of 63c against expectations for 62c, and reported revenue of $3.41B versus estimates of $3.34B. During its quarterly conference call, the company noted that "we're now looking at Q3 fully diluted EPS being 6c-8c lower than analyst's current expectations," adding that results are likely to be pressured by higher client incentives. Visa executives also disclosed expectations for a "meaningful step-up" in Q3 expense growth, with a number of marketing and technology initiatives having shifted towards the latter half of the year. PEERS: American Express (AXP) reported quarterly earnings after the close on July 22, with earnings above consensus estimates but revenue somewhat below expectations, noting a "significant" impact from a stronger U.S. dollar on international operations. NEWS: On May 8, Bloomberg reported that Visa was in preliminary talks to acquire Visa Europe for $15B-$20B, according to sources. On June 3, Visa and FireEye (FEYE) announced a strategic partnership to co-develop tools and services to protect against cyber attacks targeting payment data. On June 5, the Wall Street Journal reported that, due to Visa and MasterCard (MA) having finalized their card-security technology, Google's (GOOG) Android Pay will not be earning any transaction fees from credit-card issuers, and on June 17, Reuters reported that a U.S. appeals court affirmed that American Express can no longer block businesses from steering customers towards competitor cards, such as those of Visa. STREET RESEARCH: On May 19, Pacific Crest's Josh Beck shifted his preference to MasterCard from Visa, though he noted that the shift was simply due to Visa's outperformance over the past year. On May 20, Bernstein noted that the risk/reward ratio for both Visa and MasterCard looks positive, with the companies offering secular growth, "compelling" business models, and modest risk. More recently on July 14, Bernstein named Visa among its "Vintage Values 2016" list, citing the company's U.S. acquirer price increase and expectations that the Visa Europe put option will be exercised this year. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Visa have fallen just under 1% to $71.41 ahead of Thursday's earnings report.

Oracle requests permission to update suit against Google, Reuters reportsOracle (ORCL) has requested permission from a U.S. judge to update its copyright lawsuit against Google (GOOG) to include the Android operating system's current market dominance, Reuters reports. Oracle has said it wants the suit to add that Google continues its copyright infringement through updated versions of Android, the report says. Reference Link